Package-delivery car.



R. G. PILKINGTON.

PACKAGE DELIVERY CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JA I\1.3.I$H6.w

Patented July 24, 1917.

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lllllll -R. G. PILKINGTON. PACKAGE DELIVERY CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-3.1916.

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Patented July 24, 1917.

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ROBERT PILKINGTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE TO DODGE MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, OF MIST-IAWAKA, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

PACKAGE-DELIVERY CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 191W.

Application filed January 3, 1916. Serial No. 69,760.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT G. PILKING- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPackage-Delivery- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in package delivery cars and itmore especially appertains to the features pointed out in the annexedclaims.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a light weight car of greatstrength, flexibility and endurance; that shall be compact, afford alarge amount of space for packages within a removable compartment; thatshall be economical in the use of fuel and make small demands forrepairs; that shall give the greatest radius of action for the leastfuel; rapid acceleration; positive braking action; a powerful driveproportionate to the weight of the car; that will afiord the greatestconvenience to the deliveryman whether used by day or night, through asupervision of the steering from the pivotal point of the car, promotingspeedy deliveries over a large area; attaining high efficiency inmerchandizing; and securing the highest business assetspleasedcustomers.

With these and other ends in view I illustrate in the accompanyingdrawings such an instance of adaptation as will disclose thefundamentally broad features without limiting myself to the specificdetails shown.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 8- is a front elevation.

Fig. lis a diagrammatic elevation of an internal and external brake.

Fig. 5 is a partially sectioned plan view, of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows a closure to the side openings of a package case used whileloading the same.

Fig. 7- is an elevation of a means for holding a removable package caseon a car.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a hinged fender attached to the sides ofpackage cases.

Fig. 9 is a cross section of a part of the main supporting frame.

In light weight cars it is desirable to have the chassis, wheels, etc.,as elastic as possible without sacrificing the necessary rigidity towithstand the side strains to which such vehicles are subjected, in viewof the many quick stops and sudden turns they are obliged to make. Theentire structure must of course lend itself to these ends.

A suitable frame or chassis 1 that may be continuous or sectional restson half elliptical springs 2 which at the rear are attached to cornerbrackets 3 by suitable links. At the front end brackets 15 connectsprings 2 to the frame. On the frame an engine of suitable power isinstalled with the usual radiator, bonnet, clutches, etc. The steeringwheel t may be placed as shown on the left or otherwise as desired.Sectional fenders 5 extend the full length on either side and mayproject fore and aft if needed.

The space to the rear of the bonnet is occupied by the covered removablepackage case 6 and the drivers compartment with seat 7. Above the usualsloping toe board 16 a round opening 8 is formed so that loiteringpackages can be pushed toward the large opening 17 at the right handside. To facilitate late evening deliveries a universally supportedprotected lamp 9 may be placed on the dash board 10. It may be suppliedwith current from a suitable storage battery placed under the driversseat. If the package case 6 is not made removable the steering wheel rod18 may be continuous as shown in dotted lines of Fig. 1. When the caseis made removable the steer ing wheel 4: may be attached to a short rod19, vertical and horizontal rods 20, 21 geared to each other andsuitably supported.

The floor 11 of the package compartment 6 is corrugated, slopingrearward so as to cause packages placed therein to gradually slidetoward the large right hand opening 17 of the dashboard 10 making iteasy for the driver to reach the same. A suitable stop 22 in front ofthis opening keeps the packages within bounds. The case 6 may beincloscd with covers 12 that may be hinged at the top of thecompartment. Suitable stops may be placed on each side to hold thecovers vertical while the case is being filled. Extra goods can becarried on the fenders without interfering with the package space withinthe case.

Above the drivers compartment, etc, a suitable top 23 may be placedsupported by posts 24 and supplied with curtains on all sides if neededto protect the deliveryman in bad weather. Lamps may be attached atsuitable places.

The chassis 1 and the wheels 13 may be formed of laminated wood fiberwith or without a steel facing so as to give the required rigidity withmaximum lightness and resiliency. The wheel fillers 14 may be compositein the sense that groups of laminae may be secured to each other.

In use the car is mounted from the rear through an opening 25 from step26. Suitable tail lamps and head lights 60 are provided and shouldexigencies demand, a trailer may be attached so as to increase thecapacity for certain deliveries.

Vithin the drivers compartment the fuel tank 27 is placed and the usualcontrol levers for the clutch, brakes etc. In cars of this type it isnecessary to make very sudden stops in order that many deliveries may bemade within a given time. To effect the same without unnecessary strainon the mechanism of the car I provide two brake systems acting on thedrum of each rear wheel. Brake drums 28 are suitably secured to the rearwheel 13. The stationary casing of the rear shaft supports castings 29placed adjacent the brake drum 28. In these castings pins 30 are placedon which the brake segments 31 are supported. A. cam 32 is placedbetween the free ends of the segments and a lever 33 attached to the camenables the driver to move the segments through foot treadle 34 and rod35 against the tension of spring 36. The segments 31 are held undertension on cam 32 and pin 30 by means of springs 37" reachingfrom sideto side (see Fig. 4). V

- The external brake comprises a band 37, a bell crank 38, a lever 39, arod 40 and hand lever 41. The levers 41 and 34 may be made looking orfree as desired@ In order that the action of these levers may be appliedsimultaneously to both rear wheels, a transverse shaft 42 leads. fromone side to the other, and another shaft 43 connects both sides of theinternal brake. The casting-29 has suitable hubs in which shafts 42 and43 have bearing. 1

The package cases 6 may be made removable so that when a delivery isbeing made other cases may be receiving their contents for the nextdelivery so that idle time may be eliminated and greater efficiencyattained. This may be facilitated by placing suitable rollers 44 underthe cases near their corners so that the cases can be easily moved fromcounter to counter or to different departments without delay. When thecovers 12 are closed they will indicate that such a case is loaded. Tofurther facilitate these preliminaries a closure 45 to reach acrossopenings 17 and 8 is used to prevent packages from passing through themwhile the case is being filled. As soon as the case is placed on the carsuch closure may be withdrawn and stored for subsequent use in othercases.

To increase the speed of loading, etc., the car may run into its berthbetween guide rails 46 which will properly place it between the serviceplatforms 47. Other guides 48 may be formed onthe platforms to properlydirect full cases onto the car. To insure these fulfilling their purposesuitable front wheel stops 49 may be placed between guide rails 46 so asto stop the car in the right position. Bumpers 50 may be placed on theplatform. To span the space between the car and the platform, hingedfloor sections 51 may be used so as to be let down as soon as a car hascome into position. Then an empty .case is removed from the car onto oneplatform and simultaneously a loaded one is substituted from the otherplatform. 7 v

The cases 6 are held in place on the car between the dash 10 and enginepartition 52 on the floor 53 by hinged support-s 54 that have suitablebolts 55. adapted to slide into openings formed in dash 10 and partition52, or any other form of fastening may be used. When the bolts 55' aredrawn supports 54 drop out of the way of hinged platform sections 51 asshown in F igs.. 3 and 7. V

The continuous fenders 5 are desirable for the storage of long rolls ofcarpeting, rugs, etc. When the cases are made removable that portion. ofthe fenders which is attached to their sides should be hinged so thatwhen the cases are being loaded they will not project sidewise theirfull width. They may be secured to brackets 56 pivoted at 57, being heldup when on the car by hinged bolts 58 dropping into slots of thebrackets. The other position is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. It isof course understood that a If desired-a steel facing 59 may be usedonthe outside of laminated frame 1 so as to protect the same againstdamage from the bumps of sharp cornered projections, etc. I-Iead lights60 may be placed in partitions 52 and the usual tail-lamp at the rearend;

It is of course'understood that the specific details instanced may bechanged as needed without departing from the broad features of theinvention. Since ease of control is a most desirable factor in vehiclesof this type it is found very important to place the driver and steeringwheel at about the pivotal point around which the car will swerve eitherto the right or the left so that every important moving part of the caris always in sight. The driver need never make allowance for parts totrail after which can not be seen, thus eliminating a fruitful source ofdelays and accidents.

What I claim is,

1. In delivery vehicles, a suitable chassis, a motor supported thereon,a drivers compartment to the rear of the motor, a portable package caselocated between such compartment and the motor the same being adapted tobe Withdrawn from the chassis in a lateral direction when empty and afull case substituted therefor.

2. In delivery vehicles, a suitable chassis, a motor to drive thevehicle, wheels to support the same, lengthwise storage supports alsoserving as fenders located entirely above theiwheels on each side of thevehicle, and a package compartment placed with the motor between suchsupports.

3. In delivery vehicles, a suitable chassis, a package compartment, adrivers space to the rear thereof, inclosing sides to the compartment,hinged covers therefor, a rear opening accessible to the driver, asuitable lamp placed adjacent such door so as to make visible theaddresses, etc., of packages at any time.

A. In delivery vehicles a suitable chassis, a motor, a drivers box, apackage compartment supported by the chassis, and a rearwardly slopingcorrugated floor to the package compartment.

5. In delivery vehicles, a suitable chassis, a package compartment, arear opening therefor, a sloping floor thereto, and hinged coversthereover.

6. A suitable chassis, a motor supported thereon, a drivers compartmentisolated from the motor, a suitable dash therefor, openings therein, adetachable package compartment adapted to be placed between the motorand dash, suitable openings in the compartment formed to register withthe openings in the dash, and means for holding the parts in suchassembled relation.

7 A suitable chassis, a motor supported at one end, a driverscompartment at the other end, a package case supported between the motorand drivers compartment, suitable driving and steering wheels beneaththe chassis, and a steering mechanism therefor terminating within thedrivers compartment approximately adjacent the pivotal point aroundwhich the driving wheels may lead to the right or left.

8. A suitable chassis, a motor thereon, a

drivers compartment carried by the chassis, a removable package caselocated between said compartment and the motor, limiting walls confiningthe location of the same on the chassis, a floor on the chassis,supporting wheels for the case, means for holding the case in positionadapted to permit of the removal of an empty case from either side ofthe vehicle and the simultaneous loading of a full case from the otherside.

9. In a motor car body, the combination of a delivery frame, a freightcarrying compartment having a hinged top arranged to open in one or moreparts, openings in the rear of the compartment to permit the passage offreight, a sloping floor adapted to deliver the freight at the openings,openings in the front to carry headlights, a cab situated at the rear ofthe freight carrying compartment having means for sheltering the driver,with means for controlling the motion of the car, an opening at the rearto permit the passage of the driver, a suitable seat, and fendersattached to the body extending in approximately a straight line overboth wheels substantially parallel to the main frame of the car.

10. In delivery vehicles, a suitable chassis, a package compartment, aremovable package case therein, a sloping floor to the case, rollersbeneath the case, a runway for the rollers supported by the chassis, anda suitable protective cover for the package compartment.

11. In package delivery cars, a suitable chassis, wheels therefor, adrivers compartment thereon, a motor supported by the chassis, aremovable package case carried by the chassis between the motor and saidcompartment, means admitting of a movement of the case on the chassistransversely thereof, whereby an empty case can be taken from one sideand a full case loaded from the other side.

12. In package delivery cars, a suitable chassis, wheels therefor, amotor thereon, a drivers compartment to the rear of the motor, a packagecompartment between the drivers compartment and the motor, a removablepackage case therein adapted to be moved transversely of the chassiswhen being placed thereon or removed therefrom in loading and unloadingthe same, fender sections on the case, and coordinating fenders on thechassis above the wheels.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT G. PILKINGTON.

Witnesses:

J. GUTHRIDGE, N. S. ARNS'IUTZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

